Lake clear, young Hawk hurt

Jon Pierik

Brian Lake may have been embarrassed but it was young midfielder Alex Woodward who was in pain on Monday after he again seriously hurt his right knee.

While Lake, 31 next month, apologised for his drunken night out with his wife Shannon, resulting in both being arrested on Saturday night in Sorrento, Woodward is dealing with the possibility he requires a second knee reconstruction after an incident at training at Waverley.

Woodward, 19, tore the graft in his reconstructed knee during a skills session. "Alex has trained exceptionally well this pre-season and is understandably devastated by this setback,” Hawks' general manager of football operations Mark Evans said.

“To suffer two knee injuries so early in his career is not only unlucky but also presents Alex with a huge challenge. We are certain Alex's strong character will get him through this tough period."

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A third-round selection in the 2011 national draft, the inside midfielder ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament against Greater Western Sydney in a NAB Cup match at Launceston in March.

Lake, though, has no such worries. The former All-Australian escaped a fine or punishment and instead was ordered by the Hawks' leadership group to come up with ways to help victims of the Tasmanian bushfires.

He and his wife, married in 2010, were arrested at about 10pm after a drunken verbal altercation at Morgans, where the Portsea Polo after-party was held.

They spent four hours in a cell and were each handed a $563 fine for being drunk in a public place.

It wasn't a good look for a man the Hawks' hope is the final cog to securing an eleventh premiership.

Lake has the ability to go one-on-one with the league's power forwards, an area of weakness last season when the Hawks' key defenders were undersized and left vulnerable without help from teammates.

He had been training diligently after crossing from the Western Bulldogs where he had played 197 matches. He has two years remaining on his contract.

"I've worked my butt off to get my body right. To have too many drinks on the weekend, I've taken a step back," Lake said. "From here I want to move on and gain respect. It was a very embarrassing incident.

"I'm here to apologise to everyone involved at the football club, my family and the fans."